Ever since Beatrix Potter put pen to paper to describe and paint the loveable Peter Rabbit, children have loved the idea of having a bunny as a pet! Some parents are a bit wary, especially if they have never owned a rabbit before as pet bunnies, whilst being fairly common, are still much rarer than cats and dogs!
First of all, the important things to bear in mind:
Rabbits are, by nature, chewers! They will gnaw on just about anything they come across, either to test it as a food or simply to keep their teeth in good condition. If you have a rabbit in the home, make sure anything precious or poisonous is well out of his or her reach, and make sure there is always something nice (and acceptable!) available to chew on.
Bunnies are sociable creatures and can be house-trained (although this does take a fair amount of patience at first) but they don’t really like to be picked up and handled. Their bodies are somewhat fragile so the rabbit must be properly supported when being lifted if they must be lifted at all.
Do warn your child or children that if they pick up the bunny, he or she will wriggle whilst trying to jump free, and may even give the person holding them a sharp nip – which is bunny-speak for ‘please set me down, I am not enjoying this experience. Your child must try to place the bunny down gently, even though their instinct (especially in younger children) would be to drop the pet and run to mum or dad.
Now for the good news!
Despite the key points outlined above, rabbits as pets can be very rewarding indeed. Rabbits are fairly low maintenance creatures, tending to have strong immune systems and seldom becoming ill. They don’t require a huge amount of space, and even the smallest home should be able to accommodate a rabbit.
Rabbits are beautiful creatures, and have wonderfully soft coats that are a pleasure to stroke! There is a huge variety in the rabbit world from minute pigmy bunnies to enormous giant rabbits that may even intimidate fairly large dogs with their great size! They come in a wealth of colours too, from pure white or black to a cheerful patchy mixture!
Rabbits can live both as indoor and outdoor pets, depending on your needs and your home. If you keep them confined in a small hutch, be sure to let them out to hop around the garden or run; stretching and exploring as they go.
As rabbits are sociable animals you are better off buying a pair of them to provide comfort and companionship for each other – after all, double the rabbits means double the fun!
At Eggshell, we pride ourselves on the high standard of our hutches and have nearly ten years of industry experience behind us. Not only can we provide you with the perfect rabbit hutch for your brand new pet, but you can rest assured that it is fox proof and will keep your rabbit safe and snug throughout the night.
You can even custom design your very own rabbit house by bringing us your plans so that we can build the hutch to your exact specifications! If you are thinking about getting a pet rabbit for your children, call us today to make sure that your new pet feels at home straight away.
